Apparatus for performing operations in wells



Nov. 7, 1961 G. H. TAUSCH APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS IN WELLSFiled June 4, 19 58 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 5.

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FIG. 2. FIG. 3.

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GILBERT H. TAUSCH,

fl-ml ATMLLZ T NEY Nov. 7, 1961 G. H. TAUSCH APPARATUS FOR PERFORMINGOPERATIONS IN WELLS Filed June 4, 1958 s Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR.

' GILBERT H.TAUSCH,

1' ATM FIG. 6.

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 7, 1961 G. H. TAUSCH APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS IN WELLS 5Sheets-$heet 3 Filed June 4, 1958 FIG. l2.

FIG. ll.

FIG. IO.

INVENTOR.

GILBERT H. TAUSCH,

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ATTORNEY.

3,007,526 APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS IN WELLS Gilbert H.Tausch, Houston, Tex assignor, by mesne assignments, to.lerseyProduction Research Company, Tulsa, Okla, a corporation ofDelaware Filed June 4, 1958, Ser. No. 739,830 4 Claims. (Cl. 166-206)This invention relates to workover operations carried out in oil and gaswells. More particularly, this invention relates to the removal ofmaterial, such as sand, from a well having a tubing string withoutrequiring the use of a wireline during any period of the operation.

A current practice in carrying out workover operations, such as sandremoval, is to lower by means of a wireline various instruments whichare used in carrying out these operations. Often, the utilization of aWireline is undesirable, particularly when reworking deviated holes inwhich line friction is excessive. Also, when using a wireline thepossibility of line breakage is always present. If the line breaks,extensive fishing operations are required to recover the variousinstruments which have been lowered down the well.

An object, therefore, of this invention is to provide a tool forremoving materials such as sand from a well having a tubing stringwithout requiring the use of a wireline.

Briefly described, my new apparatus consists of a tubular member whichis dropped down a production tubing string. When the tubular member hascompleted its drop, it will rest upon the material to be removed.Releasable locking means are provided on the tubular member for lockingthe tubular member against upward movement within the tubing string.Fluid may then be pumped down the production tubing-borehole annulus andup through the tubular member and production tubing string to remove thematerial to the surface.

After the material has been removed from the well, a pulling tool iscirculated down the production tubing. The pulling tool includes a meansfor unlocking the releasable locking means on the tubular member. Afterthe pulling tool has been secured to the tubular member, fluid is againcirculated down the production tubing-borehole annulus and up theproduction tubing to remove the tubular member to the surface.

All of the foregoing operations are performed without at any timerequiring the use of a wireline.

A better understanding of the invention, as well as its many advantages,may be had by reference to the following drawings and detaileddescription, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational View. partly in section, showing the tubularmember after it has been dropped down the production tubing string;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the tubularmember in a position locked against upward movement;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational View, partly in section, showing thetelescopic extension member in fully extended position during sandwashing operations;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the tubularmember dropped and then locked to the next lower production tubingcollar from that shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an elevational View, partly in section, showing the method bywhich the tubular member is removed from the tubing string after thematerial such as sand has been removed from the well bore;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view partly in section, showing in detail thereleasable locking means used in FIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive;

3,697,526 Patented Nov. 7, 1%61 FIG. 7 is an elevational view, partly insection, showing the structure of the telescopic members;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the releasablelocking means locked against a collar;

FIG. 9 is a sectional elevational View, showing in detail the pullingtool for unlocking and retrieving the releasable locking means;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing a second typeof releasable locking means;

FIG. 11 is a sectional elevational view showing a third type ofreleasable locking means in the unlocked position; and

FIG. 12 shows the releasable locking means of FIG. 11 in the lockedposition.

FIG. 1 shows a well casing 10 which penetrates a subsurface formation13. Perforations 12 have been made through the casing 10 to communicatewith the producing formation 13. As shown in the figure, undesirablematerial, such as sand 14, has filtered through perforations 12 and intothe casing. Before production can be resumed, this sand must be removed.

A tubular member 15, having the usual fishing neck 16, is shown after ithas been dropped down the production tubing string 17. The productiontubing string 17 is made up of a plurality of pipe sections joinedtogether by threaded collars, such as collars 18 and 19. The lowermostpipe of the production tubing string 17 has its lower extremity spacedabove the bottom of the well.

As seen in FIG. 1, the tubular member 15 has its lower portion restingagainst the material 14 which is to be removed from the well. The lengthof tubular member 15 may be chosen such that the tubular member willextend upwardly into the tubular production string 17 after it has beendropped to the bottom of the well. The distance from the top of the sand14 up to the bottom of the production tubing string 17 may be determinedby the use of conventional locator tools well known to those skilled inthe art. Knowing this distance, the proper length of the tubular member15 can be made by joining pipe of the proper diameter together by meansof threaded collars, such as collars 20.

To make certain the tubular member 15 does not pass through the bottomof production tubing 17, a no-go ring 22 is provided adjacent the upperend of the tubular member 15. The no-go ring will rest upon an innershoulder 23 provided in the lower end of production tubing 17, thuspreventing the tubular member 15 from passing below the productiontubing string.

Locking dogs 24 are pivotally connected to the inside wall of tubularmember 15 by means of pivots 26 (see FIG. 6). Locking dogs 24 are biasedoutwardly against the inside wall of the production tubing 17 by meansof biasing springs 28. The locking dogs '24 are shaped such that theywill permit the tubular member 15 to fall freely by gravity in theproduction tubing string, but will lock in the next threaded collarrecess above the tubular member 15 when reverse circulation is begun.

Packing means, such as cup packer 30, is provided adjacent the upperportion of the tubular member 15 between the locking dogs 24 and theno-go ring 22.

The tubular member 15 increases in diameter adjacent its lower end toprovide an elongated chamber 31, in which is arranged a telescopingtubular extension member 32, which is provided with an external shoulder33 on its upper end (see FIG. 7). The lower end of the chamber isprovided with an internal shoulder 34 which serves to retain thetelescoping member 32 in the chamber 31. It will be seen that thetubular member 15 has a continuous open passageway therethrough.

After the tubular member 15 has been lowered down the well to theposition shown in FIG. 1, reverse circulation of fluid is begun. Inreverse circulation, fluid is pumped down the production tubing-casingannulus 35. The circulated fluid exerts pressure against the bottomportion of cup packer 30 to move the tubular member 15 upwardly untillocking dogs 24 engage the recess of threaded collar 18. When thisoccurs, further upward movement of tubular member 15 is prevented, andthe cup packer 30 seals against the inside wall of the production tubingstring 17. The pumped fluid then flows down the production tubing-casingannulus and up through the tubular extension member 32, tubular member15, and production tubing string 17 to the earths surface. The fluidserves to carry the sand 14 up to the earths surface.

As the well is reverse circulated, the telescoping extension member 32will extend from the position shown in FIG. 2 to its fully extendedposition as shown in FIG. 3, while washing the column of sand.

When telescoping extension member 32 has reached its fully extendedposition, circulation is stopped. Tubular extension member 15 will thenfall freely by gravity until the telescoping extension member 32 isagain in its retracted position, and the tubular member 15 rests againstthe surface of the sand. If member 15 should not fall freely by gravity,direct circulation can be applied. At this time, reverse circulation isbegun again to move the tubular member 15 upwardly to lock the member 15into the next lower locking collar recess 19 or production tubing string17. The position of the tubular member 15 in tubing string 17 is then asshown in FIG. 4. The process is then repeated until all of the material14 is washed from the well.

FIG. shows in a schematic drawing another type of locking means in whichthe dogs 60 are again springloaded by means of springs 62. However, inthe embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the outside edges of the locking dogs60 are provided with serrations 64. The serrations are shaped in such amanner that they will stop the tubular member in any place in the tubingand will not travel upwardly until retracted.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show in schematic drawings still another type ormodification of locking means. As shown, a rubber sealing element 70 isutilized which is constructed by bonding the slips 71 into the rubbercup 72. Hydraulic pressure exerted during the reverse circulation willset the slips any place in the tubing.

After all of the sand has been removed, the tubular member 15 is removedto the surface by circulating a pressure responsive pulling tool downthe production tubing string 17. The removal of the tubular member 15 bymeans of the pulling tool is shown in FIG. 5. The pulling tool 73includes a cup packer 74 (see FIG. 9). The pulling tool 73 has acentrally located prong 75 which fits into the upper open end of thetubular member 15. Prong 75 engages the inside portion of the lockingdogs 24 to pivot the outside of the locking dogs inwardly, permittingthe removal of the tubular member 15 from the production tubing string17. Also included on the pulling tool 73 are a pair of latches 76adapted to latch onto the fishing neck 16 of the tubular member 15.

After the pulling tool 73 has latched onto the tubular member 15, fluidis then circulated down the production tubing-casing annulus and up theproduction tubing to circulate the entire assembly fom the well to thesurface.

If a locking means such as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is used instead ofthe locking means shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, inclusive, or in FIG. 10, thecentral prong of the pulling tool 73 is unnecessary. The rubber cup 74above the pulling tool seals the well tubing from circulation and allowsequal pressure across the tubular cup 72, thereby preventing hydraulicsetting of the slips.

The invention has been described with reference to its use in a casedwell. The invention can also be used in other types of wells, such aswells with two coexistent parallel tubing strings cemented in a boreholeand commonly joined at some point above the perforations. Sand may alsobe removed from inside the production tubing or drill pipe located in anopen hole.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for removing material from a well having a tubing stringtherein comprising: a tubular member of less diameter than the tubingstring to provide a tubular member-tubing string annulus, and adapted tobe dropped down the tubing string to rest upon the material; cooperatingmeans on the tubing string and the tubular member adapted to coengage toprevent the tubular member from passing through the tubing string;releasable locking means mounted in the tubular member and adapted tolockingly engage the inside of the tubing string on upward movement ofthe tubular member but permit the tubular member to fall freely; and adownwardly facing cup member mounted about the tubular member wherebyupon circulation of fluid down the tubing stringborehole annulus and upthrough the tubular member and tubing string, the tubular member islocked within the tubing string and then the material is removed fromthe borehole and when said circulation is terminated, the tubular memberis permitted to fall freely.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the releasable lockingmeans are dogs normally biased outwardly into contact with the inside ofthe tubing string.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the outside edges of thedogs are serrated.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the releasable lockingmeans are slips mounted on the downwardly facing cup member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,212,491 Appleby Aug. 27, 1940 2,462,230 Smith Feb. 22, 1949 2,749,841Jones June 12, 1956 2,782,860 Tausch et al. Feb. 26, 1957 2,796,130Huber June 18, 1957 2,800,186 Tausch July 23, 1957 2,805,718 TauschSept. 10, 1957 2,810,442 Tausch Oct. 22, 1957 2,852,078 Krause Sept. 16,1958

